Here's what you think of garbage and recycling collection in Hamilton

More than half of Hamiltonians who responded to a city survey say aswitchto collecting garbage every two weeks would have at least some impact on them.

And nearly all of them are satisfied with the garbage collection they have now.

The survey shows about 54 per cent of respondents say biweekly garbage collection would have "some" or a "big" impact on their household. If there was biweekly collection, 34 per cent were somewhat interested in a wheeled cart program.

• Check out survey result highlights

Members of city council's public works committee heeded this feedback. They have voted to extend existing waste collection service contracts an additional year until March 29, 2021 while it considersalternatives. Those optionshave to include keeping weekly service. This will be ratified April 26.

The city-funded survey, conducted by Metroline Research Group in November, wasdesigned to help the city shape its waste program as its current contracts were set to expire in three years.

• Have an opinion on biweekly garbage pickup? This is the week to express it

The company received800 telephone, 151 in-person and1,468 online responses. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.5 per cent. Most respondents (63 per cent) were in single family homes, although some lived in apartments.

Here are some key findings:

People like their garbage collection.

Ninety-seven per cent of telephone and in-person respondentssaid they were satisfied with their waste collection. For online respondents, it was 94 per cent. Satisfaction was highest with garbage and blue box collection.

Fewer people use their green bin.

A lot of people put their garbage and recycling out for collection, but fewer people use their green bin. While almost everyone said they use the former two services, only 80 per cent of in-person respondents put out a green bin, or 84 per cent for online and 83 per cent for telephone.

Even fewer (74 per cent in person, 88 online, 80 on the phone) use the yard waste service. Mind you, 18 per cent of respondents live in apartments, so that might have something to do with it.

The lowest number used the bulk/large item collection, hovering somewhere around 55 per cent.

Most people put out one bag a week.

Results show that most people abide by the one-bag limit every week, and about one-third put out less than one bag.

People don't use their trash tags much.

The majority of households (53 per cent by phone, 56 online, 44 in person) make do with the 12 trash tags included in the city's annual mail out. About a third (37 telephone, 25 online, 34 in person) don't use trash tags at all. Not surprisingly, larger households use more tags.

Concerns abouttwice-a-month garbage collection

The majority say making garbage collection every two weekswould impact their lives. Thirty-four per cent say it would have a big impact, while 20 per cent said it would have some impact, and six per cent weren't sure.

That compares to 22 per cent, who don't think it would impact them at all, and 18 per cent said it wouldn't change much for them.

Of those who said they'd be impacted, odours were the most frequent concern at 63 per cent. About half worried about storage, 34 per cent worried about animals, and 30 per cent said it would be messy. Twelve per cent say they dispose of diapers.

People are thinking green.

More than 90 per cent of respondents said it's important for the city to reduce the amount of garbagesent to landfill.

They don't like when people leave garbage in the wrong place.

About 70 per cent said illegal dumping concerns them. Fifty-three per cent think it's disrespectful behaviour, and 38 per cent think those who do it just don't want to pay the fees.